Scientists discover Super Earth!

[theVOID]

Wow, great news! This is only the first of many That's the best part about it.

Astronomers have discovered a new Earth-like planet that is larger than our own and may be more than half covered with water, according to a study published Wednesday in the science journal Nature.
The so-called "super Earth" is about 42 light years away in another solar system and has a radius nearly 2.7 times larger than that of our planet

The "newfound world" is too hot to sustain life as we know it, said the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in a statement.

Its density suggests however it "is composed of about three-fourths water and other ices and one fourth-rock," it said. "There are also tantalising hints that the planet has a gaseous atmosphere."

Its temperature is estimated at between 280 and 120 degrees Celsius (536 and 248 degrees Fahrenheit) with its host star about one-fifth the size of the Sun, according to the scientists.
"Despite its hot temperature, this appears to be a waterworld,"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091216/sc_...eastronomy

[Tiberius]

Awesome find for science

[littlegrimlin1]

Does that mean, that all of the water on the planet boils? lol How would we get there? Have a spacecraft travel there suited to encompass life for many generations before arrival?

But yet, an awesome blossom find for science!

[theVOID]

Does that mean, that all of the water on the planet boils? lol How would we get there? Have a spacecraft travel there suited to encompass life for many generations before arrival?

But yet, an awesome blossom find for science!

Well it would take 42 years traveling at the speed of light to get there so very slowly i guess

[Zhalentine]

Does that mean, that all of the water on the planet boils? lol How would we get there? Have a spacecraft travel there suited to encompass life for many generations before arrival?

But yet, an awesome blossom find for science!

The article said, "Berta said some of the water would likely be in crystalline form that exists at pressures greater than 20,000 times Earth's sea-level atmosphere."

I'm not sure if the article is saying that the planets atmospheric pressure is 20,000 times Earth, but if that is the case then the water has a possibility of not boiling. Liquids boil when their vapor pressure equals atmospheric, so the water's vapor pressure (influenced by temperature) would have to be really high. I'm not sure of the calculation for the boiling point off the top of my head.

[Darwinian]

Doesn't matter how hot it is, if it has liquid water on it's surface then there's a chance for life. They might be peering at our planet and saying "It's got water but it's far too cold for life"

After all, life will find a way..

[leo-rcc]

Just look at it like a pressure cooker. This super earth is much larger than our earth so the gravitational forces are also a lot higher. This pulls both on the water and the surrounding atmosphere creating pressure cooker conditions. This makes the boiling point of the water rise.

On Earth life has been found in water near the vents of underwater volcanoes in mega hot water, in acidic surroundings, or in the exact opposite, extreme cold or total darkness. Whenever life gets a chance to adapt to its surroundings, it will.

[Violet]

Doesn't matter how hot it is, if it has liquid water on it's surface then there's a chance for life. They might be peering at our planet and saying "It's got water but it's far too cold for life"

After all, life will find a way..

Somebody watched Jurassic park one too many times...

Oh wait... that was me

[Ashes1995]

so this is a bit like planet x or something? if i were a scientist i would be working on a huge space station big enough to breed on the way to the planet for the next forty two years travelling at light speed, but only a few people can fit in so the population would have to be controlled by killing everyone when they got to the age of thirty, wich could be identified by the flashing wierd light in thier hand!..... oh wait, trailing off to logans run there.. still a good idea

[Amphora]

I'm not sure of the calculation for the boiling point off the top of my head.

Calculation I know not of. The boiling point of water is 212 °F or 100 °C. Part of this I found from wiki.